Principal areas (1996-present)
Since 1996, Wales has been divided into 22 principal areas, variously styled as counties or county boroughs.
This is a list of the coats of arms of the local authorities in Wales .
Since 1996, Wales has been divided into 22 principal areas, variously styled as counties or county boroughs.
Between 1974 and 1996, Wales was divided into 8 counties, which were further divided into thirty-seven districts. In 1996 this two-tier system of local government was abolished and replaced with the current single-tier system of principal areas, mostly based on the formerly lower-tier districts. However, the former upper-tier counties have been "preserved" for the ceremonial purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty.
| Council | Arms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clwyd County Council |  | Granted 3 December 1974 [10] |
| Dyfed County Council |  (Escutcheon) | |
| Gwent County Council |  | Inherited from the historic county of Monmouthshire, and then passed on to the present Monmouthshire County Council. |
| Gwynedd County Council (not to be confused with the present Gwynedd Council) |  (Escutcheon) | Used by the former Gwynedd County Council (1974–1996), until it was divided into Anglesey, Conwy, and Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, the latter of which was renamed back to Gwynedd (1996–present). Continues to be used by the present Gwynedd Council. |
| Mid Glamorgan County Council | ||
| Powys County Council |  | Granted 2 March 1984. Powys continues to exist as a unitary authority using the same arms. |
| South Glamorgan County Council |  | |
| West Glamorgan County Council |  |
In 1889 a system of administrative counties was established in parallel to the 13 historic counties, which had been the main subdivisions of Wales since 1536. Between 1889 and 1974 some boroughs were elevated to county boroughs outside of the administrative counties (Cardiff and Swansea in 1889, Newport in 1891 and Merthyr Tydfil in 1908). The boundaries of the administrative counties gradually departed from those of the historic counties until they were replaced by a new system in 1974.
| Council | Arms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monmouthshire County Council (1889–1974) | | Granted 28 January 1948. Continues to be used by the present Monmouthshire County Council. [11] |
| Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) |  (Escutcheon) | Granted 15 December 1950 [12] |
| Carmarthenshire County Council (1889–1974) |  | Granted 28 August 1935; supporters granted 1997. Continues to be used by the present Carmarthenshire County Council. [13] |
| Pembrokeshire County Council (1889–1974) |  | Granted 11 October 1937. Continues to be used by the present Pembrokeshire County Council. [14] |
| Cardiganshire County Council (1889–1974) |  | Granted 21 October 1937. Continues to be used by the present Ceredigion County Council [15] |
| Brecknockshire County Council (1889–1974) |  | Unofficial [16] |
| Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) |  (Escutcheon) | Granted 21 November 1950 [17] |
| Montgomeryshire County Council (1889–1974) |  (Escutcheon) | Granted 23 January 1951 [18] |
| Denbighshire County Council (1889–1974) |  (Escutcheon) | Granted 12 March 1962 [19] |
| Flintshire County Council (1889–1974) |  | Granted 12 May 1938. Continues to be used by the present Flintshire County Council. [20] |
| Merionethshire County Council (1889–1974) |  (Escutcheon) | Granted March 1952 [21] |
| Caernarvonshire County Council (1889–1974) |  (Escutcheon) | Granted 1949. County was anglicised as Carnarvonshire prior to 1926. |
| Anglesey County Council (1889–1974) |  | Granted 9 April 1954. Continues to be used by the present Isle of Anglesey County Council. [22] |
Radnorshire was an administrative county in mid Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales and from 1974 to 1996 a district. It covered a sparsely populated area, and was bounded to the north by Montgomeryshire and Shropshire, to the east by Herefordshire, to the south by Brecknockshire and to the west by Cardiganshire.
The Council of the Royal County of Berkshire, also known as the Berkshire County Council, was the top-tier local government administrative body for Berkshire from 1889 to 1998. The local authority had responsibilities for education, social services, public transport, planning, emergency services and waste disposal, and had 87 members. Berkshire County Council shared power with six lower-tier district councils, each of which directed local matters.
Delyn was a local government district with borough status from 1974 to 1996, being one of six districts in the county of Clwyd, north-east Wales.
This is a list of the coats of arms of various county councils in England.
The County Borough of Croydon was a local government district in and around the town of Croydon in north east Surrey, England from 1889 to 1965. Since 1965 the district has been part of the London Borough of Croydon within Greater London.
East Barnet Valley was a local government district from 1874 to 1965 around the town of East Barnet. It was partly in the counties of Hertfordshire and Middlesex until 1889, when the Middlesex part was transferred to Hertfordshire. It was renamed East Barnet in 1935.
Rhondda was a local government district in the geographical area of the Rhondda Valley, south Wales, from 1877 until 1996, with various statuses through its history.
The City and County of Swansea Council, or simply Swansea Council, is the local authority for the city and county of Swansea, one of the principal areas of Wales. The principal area also includes rural areas to the north of the built-up area of Swansea and the Gower Peninsula to the west. The council consists of 75 councillors representing 32 electoral wards.
The Coat of arms of Leeds City Council derives its design from the seventeenth century. In 1662 the Borough of Leeds received a new charter which created the office of mayor, and the arms seems to date from about this time as they incorporate part of the arms of the first mayor. These arms were recorded at the heraldic visitation of Yorkshire in 1666. By the time that the borough was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, silver owls had been added both as crest above the shield, and as supporters on either side. These additions were not authorised, however, and in 1920 application was made by Leeds County Borough Council to the College of Arms to have these additions officially granted. In the following year the grant of crest and supporters was made, with the colouring of the owls altered to "proper", or natural colourings. Gold ducal coronets were added to the supporters for further heraldic difference.
The coat of arms of the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council was granted in 1976. The council is the local authority for the district of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The coat of arms is based on those of Bradford Corporation, the local authority for the County Borough of Bradford, both of which were abolished in 1974.
A heraldic shield has been associated with the historic county of Sussex since the seventeenth century. The device, displaying six martlets or heraldic swallows on a shield, later formed the basis of the flag of Sussex and the armorial bearings granted to the county councils of East and West Sussex.
Flags and symbols of Yorkshire have been used to identify Yorkshire and its related councils through flags and symbols. This article also includes flags and symbols used by the present and former local authorities covering Yorkshire.
The history of local government in Wales in a recognisably modern form emerged during the late 19th century. Administrative counties and county boroughs were first established in Wales in 1889. Urban and rural districts were formed in 1894. These were replaced in 1974 by a two-tier authority system across the country comprising eight counties and, within them, thirty-seven districts. This system was itself replaced by the introduction of 22 single-tier authorities in 1996.
English heraldry is the form of coats of arms and other heraldic bearings and insignia used in England. It lies within the so-called Gallo-British tradition. Coats of arms in England are regulated and granted to individuals by the English kings of arms of the College of Arms. An individual's arms may also be borne 'by courtesy' by members of the holder's nuclear family, subject to a system of cadency marks, to differentiate those displays from the arms of the original holder. The English heraldic style is exemplified in the arms of British royalty, and is reflected in the civic arms of cities and towns, as well as the noble arms of individuals in England. Royal orders in England, such as the Order of the Garter, also maintain notable heraldic bearings.
Norwich City Council is the local authority for Norwich, a non-metropolitan district with city status in Norfolk, England. It consists of 39 councillors, elected to represent 13 wards, each with three councillors. It forms the lower tier of local government in Norwich, responsible for local services such as housing, planning, leisure and tourism.
The coat of arms of Newport is the heraldic emblem of the city of Newport, South Wales. Also known as the Civic Badge, it has been borne by the present Newport City Council since 24 July 1996 following the municipal reorganisation in April that year.
The coat of arms of Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council was granted on 1 September 1965. The council is the local authority for Barking and Dagenham, Greater London, England.
The coat of arms of the London Borough of Barnet is the official coat of arms of the London Borough of Barnet. It was granted on 1 January 1965.
The Coat of arms of the London Borough of Brent is the official arms of the London Borough of Brent. It was granted on 1 September 1965.
The coat of arms of the London Borough of Croydon is the official heraldic arms of the London Borough of Croydon, granted on 10 December 1965.
